Members of a Boy Scout troop on an outing spotted Bierwirth's body about 9:30 a.m. Jan. 2. in the 22200 block of Tuwa, west of the Willow Creek Bridge off Dowdell near Kuykendahl.

Dumped in ditch

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined the preliminary cause of death was blunt trauma to the head and neck. The death was ruled a homicide.

Bierwirth appeared to have been beaten to death on Jan. 2, the documents state. He was then placed in an extra-large storage container and dumped in the ditch. The bloodstained container was found near the body. DNA tests revealed that blood on the container was likely Bierwirth's.

A witness told investigators he had been at Houston's Sports Bar with Shillings and Bierwirth the night before the body was found, court documents state.

The witness also told police the men left the` bar together. He said he was dropped off at his brother's house and Shilling and Bierwirth then left.

'Forced me to help'

Before they drove away, the documents state, the witness told police he gave Shillings the storage container that Bierwirth put in the car. He also said that he was aware that Bierwirth owed money to another person and that Shilling was going to take Bierwirth to another location for a "beat down," which investigators believe may been related to the unpaid debt.

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When he was interviewed, court documents state, Shillings told an investigator, "They set me up and forced me to help." He said other people were the primary attackers.